Huskies hockey splits at Cactus Cup to take third
PALM DESERT, Calif. — The Michigan Tech Huskies hockey wrapped up its non-conference schedule with an overtime win over the Holy Cross Crusaders Saturday to take third in the Coachella Valley Cactus Cup at Acrisure Arena.
They lost on Friday to No. 10 Massachusetts-Lowell. With the win Saturday, the Huskies improved to 11-7-2 overall this season.
HUSKIES TOP
CRUSADERS
SATURDAY
The Huskies wrapped up non-conference play with a 4-3 overtime victory over Holy Cross in the Cactus Cup consolation game on Saturday. Logan Morrell scored 33 seconds into overtime.
“We got better as the game went on like we’ve seen from our team the last few games where our third period has been our best period,” Huskies coach Joe Shawhan said. “I’m happy for Ryan for getting the win between the pipes in his first start, and I’m happy for Blais for getting that goal. Holy Cross is a good hockey team, but we saw Logan and Stiven step up again in a critical time.”
Junior Stiven Sardarian factored into three of the four goals, tallying a goal and two assists. He is on a three-game point streak with a goal and six assists over the stretch. He leads the CCHA with 26 points and ranks second in the NCAA with 17 assists.
Matthew Campbell opened scoring 10:02 into the game with his fourth of the season. While the teams skated 4-on-4, Sardarian took the puck out of the corner and fed a streaking Campbell for a quick one-timer.
Holy Cross tied it up 1:33 later with a power-play goal by Jack Stockfish. He put in a loose puck in the crease with Liam McLinskey and Devin Phillips getting credited with the assists.
The Crusaders then took the lead 9:31 into the second period when Timothy Heinke put in his own rebound with Edward Moskowitz assisting.
Blais Richartz tied it at two with his first of the season at 15:28 of the second. Campbell entered the zone to Jack Works. Richartz was in alone on the goaltender and chipped the puck over the goaltender’s blocker for his fifth career goal.
Tech regained its lead 37 seconds into the third when Sardarian fired a wrist shot past the glove for his team-leading ninth of the season. Morrell and Isaac Gordon assisted on Sardarian’s 18th NCAA goal.
Holy Cross again tied it up 90 seconds later when Stockfish scored his second of the game from Liam McLinskey and William Troutwine.
In the OT, the Crusaders got the puck deep into their offensive zone. Chase Pietila created at turnover and Sardarian set up Morrell for the game-winner on a 2-on-1. Morrell one-timed it five-hole for his team-leading ninth of the season which ranks second amongst NCAA freshmen. Pietila now has an assist in six straight games.
“I didn’t have to do much. It was all Sardarian,” Morrell said. “I just had to put a twig on it. He’s a super good player and does things other players don’t. You just have to get to open areas and he’ll find you.”
The Crusaders led in shots 25-22, despite the Huskies dominating the third 10-3. Ryan Manzella made his first collegiate start and stopped 22 shots to earn his second win — both overtime victories. Louden Hogg had 18 saves on the other end of the ice.
HUSKIES FALL IN SEMIFINAL TO
RIVER HAWKS
The Huskies fell 3-2 to the RIver Hawks Friday in the semifinal of the Cactus Cup. The Huskies tied it in the third period, but the River Hawks scored the game-winner on the power play with 1:43 left.
“We had a difficult time establishing any sort of foundation, but we fought hard and got better in the third,” Shawhan said. “UMass-Lowell is a really good team, and we needed to compete harder. Goaltending was good and gave us a chance to win.”
Tech (10-7-2) opened scoring 2:01 into the game when Elias Jansson redirected in a shot by Pietila for his fourth goal of the season and first on the power play. Rylan Brown added the second assist and Pietila extended his point streak to five games.
The River Hawks tied it up at 13:01 of the first period when Matt Crasa scored on a rebound from Ian Carpentier and Lee Parks.
There wasn’t any scoring in the second period, and the Huskies had to kill off three penalties, including a rarely called interference as Campbell touched the puck while still having a skate in the penalty box.
UML (11-4-2) took its first lead of the game 2:17 into the third when Pierson Brandon finished off a 2-on-1 from Matt Crasa.
The Huskies pressured late in the third period and Gordon found the equalizer with 6:58 left in the third when he one-timed in a pass to the slot from Morrell. Sardarain added the second assist on Gordon’s third of the season and 21st of his career.
Tech was whistled on a tripping penalty late in the third, and Lee Parks scored the game-winner with 1:43 remaining.
The Huskies weren’t able to pull the goaltender to add the extra attacker and the clock ran out.
Tech managed a season-low 15 shots on goal while UML had 28. Derek Mullahy had 25 saves for the Huskies, and Henry Welsch stopped 13 shots for the River Hawks. Viktor Hurtig hit the post in the first period, and Gordon drew iron in the third period.
The Huskies were 1-for-2 on the power play and 3-for-4 on the penalty kill.
NON-CONFERENCE RECORD
The Huskies finished the non-conference schedule with a 4-4 record. The wins were over Holy Cross, Northern Michigan, and twice against Alaska. The losses were to current No. 4 Western Michigan, No. 10 UMass-Lowell, and No. 20 Clarkson (twice).
UP NEXT
The Huskies return home next weekend to host Lake Superior State at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena. Saturday is the annual Marketplace Foods of Houghton Kids Day with a ticket giveaway on Tuesday for 500 youth.